Abstract

The book comprises seven sections. It is an interesting read. The introductory section provides some background on HIV prevalence worldwide, with South Africa being the largest country estimated to have the highest HIV prevalence rate. The book provides detailed epidemiological information which serves as a foundation for understanding the epidemic. It further marks key milestones in the regional spread of the virus from the first reported cases of AIDS in the early 1980s to the current generalised major epidemic. The disease was originally confined to homosexuals and those who received infected blood products, but the trajectory of the epidemic changed as heterosexual transmission became predominant. The authors discuss how young economically active people and women in particular became vulnerable. Furthermore, the book provides an overview of the temporal trends in the geographical distribution of HIV in South Africa using mathematical modelling techniques to derive incidence estimates from HIV prevalence surveys.